


Confidant

by yeaka



Category: Star Trek, Star Trek: Discovery
Genre: Established Relationship, M/M, Mirror Universe, Vignette
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-31
Updated: 2019-10-31
Packaged: 2021-01-15 07:10:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 396
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21249458
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yeaka/pseuds/yeaka
Summary: Paul tells Hugh a secret.





	Confidant

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: Since Mirror Hugh doesn’t seem to have a canon, I’m making it up.
> 
> Disclaimer: I don’t own Star Trek or any of its contents, and I’m not making any money off this.

There’s only one time Hugh Culber ever truly feels safe, and that’s in the dead of night when he’s curled up with Paul. 

The two of them are crowded into one bunk on a mattress too small to fit two grown men, but they make it work because the alternative is unbearable. They intertwine as much as they have to, slotting legs together and wrapping arms around one another, Hugh’s head on the pillow and Paul’s on Hugh’s shoulder. Hugh has his arm curled around Paul’s back, and he idly pets through Paul’s blond hair as his mind drifts off. Their quarters aren’t quite pitch black, because the blue highlights always stay on, which is for the best—it could be dangerous to be caught in the dark. It’s also dangerous to have such a liability as a lover, but that’s a risk they have to take. Sometimes, Paul’s the only thing that keeps Hugh going. 

Paul whispers against his bare skin, “Are you still awake?”

Hugh hums, “Mm,” for an answer. His lids are droopy, body tired, but he holds off sleep, because holding Paul is better than his dreams will be. Nightmares have plagued him since the first time he saw an agonizer in use. At least his aren’t as bad as the night terrors that often torment Paul. 

Paul murmurs, “I want to tell you something. It’s eating me up.”

“Anything.” Paul’s the only person Hugh would ever say that to. In their line of work, sharing is a weakness. But Hugh knows how hard it is to keep everything inside.

Paul insists, “You can never tell another soul.” 

Hugh easily promises, “I won’t.”

Paul shifts. He somehow wriggles closer, one hand steadying himself across Hugh’s chest and his face ducking so close that his lips tickle Hugh’s ear. He whispers into it, “_I hate the Emperor. And I hate Lorca too._”

Then he settles back, weight heavy against Hugh’s side. Hugh’s pulse stopped for a moment. 

He turns to look at Paul, and even through the barely-there dim light, he can see the fear in Paul’s pale eyes. That was a deadly secret, one Paul should’ve never said aloud. But hearing it was thrilling in a twisted, messed up sort of way, because it means Paul trusts Hugh with his very life. Hugh won’t ever betray that trust.

He admits, “Me too.”


End file.
